Posted: 3/29/05
Fastenal company growing
Teamwork, communication key skills to new jobs
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
The old Caledonia Elementary School kindergarten classroom buzzed with voices last Tuesday.
But Jan Klug wasnít riding herd over a group of kindergarten students like the good old days.
You could call these the good NEW days for the former school.
There were people at most of the 30 cubicles, talking through telephone headsets, punching up accounts on keyboards, peering at screens. leaving messages, saying thank you.
And not everyone was hard at work. Some people were moving around, visiting with each other. The room had a pleasant, happy feeling that Mrs. Klug would approve of.
Light poured through the west windows of the classroom, which faces the new elementary school building and playground. The false ceiling has been removed, girders and ceiling painted, shiny new ductwork installed. That might contribute to the good vibes too.
I was looking at a big-time success story in Caledonia: the first stage of Fastenalís new calling center.
The Winona-based company announced last December that it was creating a new division in the former elementary school, which is now owned by Mike Nanof and Dawn Twaiten-Nanof of Winona.
So far the company has hired 22 fulltime and three part-time workers, who are called accounts receivable coordinators. They work at 4' x 5' cubicles custom made by Winona Manufacturing. Their job is to call on Fastenal customers whose accounts are overdue. Their computers are linked to the accounts receivable network at corporate headquarters in Winona.
ìThis is a courtesy call,î Fastenal assistant controller Sheryl Lisowski said. ìWe want to treat them respectfully.î (See related story for more on the actual jobs.)
A classroom next door is in its final stages of remodeling. It can hold another 30 cubicles, so there is room to expand there. And that seems likely, although Lisowski wouldnít come right out and say it.
ìWeíre still trying to evaluate that magic number of employees that we need,î she said. It involves things like evaluating the average number of calls a person can make in a day.
Lisowski and Michelle Reinhart, the calling center team leader, filled me in on many interesting Fastenal facts during my hour-long tour on March 22.
The jobs are a result of a test pilot that Fastenal did in New England on what Lisowski calls ìday sales outstanding.î That term refers to accounts receivable balances versus sales over the past two months.
The company has a goal of where they want accounts receivable balances to be, Lisowski said, and Caledonia workers are playing a big role in achieving that goal.
The test pilot showed that the idea made financial sense for Fastenal. Currently the Caledonia employees call on four of 11 Fastenal regions, Lisowski said the companyís objective is to be calling on the entire country by the end of June.
And all from Caledonia.
So far the program is making a positive impact, Lisowski said, and is receiving good feedback.
Lisowski, who has worked for Fastenal for 10 years, thanked Hoskins Electric for responding on short notice to get things set up for the calling center.
ìWeíre happy to be here,î she said. Fastenal has had a constant flood of applications, and employees have come from throughout the county, plus the La Crosse area and Iowa.
The new jobs pay roughly $1,800 per month, plus workers are eligible for a bonus pool of 20-25 percent of their salary after 12 months on the job.
ìWe have an entire floor plan laid out,î Lisowski said, responding to another probe on my part about expansion. ì[Weíre] Just trying to maximize the space to its fullest capacity.î
Conceivably, the company could have 100 employees in five years, she said. Fastenalís three-year lease with the Nanofs has the option to move into two additional classrooms.
The Caledonia calling center could have a payroll of $1 million in two years, company founder Bob Kierlin said in January.
Teamwork, communication key skills to new jobs
By David Heiller
Argus News Editor
First impressions might be deceiving when it comes to the new Fastenal calling center jobs.
Their jobs involve using computers to pull up data on customers whose accounts are five days past term, then calling them to inquire about it.
But the work is a far cry from the something like a bill collector or telemarketer, according to Fastenal accounts receivables coordinators Kate Peterson and Nicole Johnson.
They document the conversations clearly and concisely, all on a computer. Itís basically a paperless environment. Both women said that people are receptive to the calls.
Johnson, 24, said she didnít know what to expect with the job. She feels employees have come a long way since they began in February. ìItís proven to be a success,î she said.
Working together as a team is important, she said. That might seem odd for a job in which you work in cubicles and call people. But there are often instances where you have to talk to other Fastenal workers about a certain client, Johnson said. Coordinators write notes on their calls, and itís good to be able to communicate those notes well. They usually do this over the phone, despite being in the same room.
Johnson, who lives in Canton, has an accounting degree from St. Maryís University in Winona. She had worked as a service manager at Wells Fargo in Rochester before taking the job in Caledonia.
Itís a much shorter commute now. Johnson figures she saves $200 a month in gasoline just by avoiding the long drive to Rochester. Not to mention the benefit of getting home 90 minutes earlier every day.
Plus there is room for improvement and growth in her job. Johnson thinks she has a good future with the company.
Kate Peterson agreed with Johnson on the teamwork part. She feels that good communication skill is the key to the job. Peterson thinks she was hired for her communication skills. ìIf you canít communicate with customers, we canít come to a resolution,î she said.
Is it a hard job? Peterson answered that learning to get through the numbers has been a bit of a challenge. But she was quick to add that the calls she makes are a ìvery pleasant experience.î People are thankful to get the call and like to get the information that the coordinators provide. ìThatís what weíre there for, to give them the information they need,î she said.
Even the hostile customers quickly realize that coordinators are not harassing them, Johnson said. And most accounts receivable departments are used to calls. ìThey realize thatís their job, to pay us,î she said.
If they are upset, there is a reason, Peterson added.
Johnson said she learns something new every day. ìYouíre never going to know what to expect,î she said.
Peterson, 29, used to work at the Company Store in La Crosse, training new hirees. ìI can walk to work now if I want,î she said.
Fastenal is close to the school, so if Petersonís children Landon or Alissa need anything, it very convenient for Mom. She can even look out the window and watch them play. (Landon, now a second grader, had attended kindergarten in the very classroom in which we were talking.)
Having a job close to home is a big plus for Michelle Reinhart, who oversees the entire operation in Caledonia She had worked at Fastenal in Winona for eight years before switching to Caledonia.
ìNever in a million years did I think Iíd be here,î she told me as I was about to leave last week.ìI think that [short commute] plays a role for a lot of people here.î
Many people used to drive to La Crosse for a good job, she said. ìNow that good job is in their home town.î
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